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Style Guide for Research Papers: Citing Dictionaries/Encyclopedias

This is the style guide for assignments in courses offered by the departments of Bible & Theology, Practical Theology, and Intercultural Studies

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The examples below provide guidance for how to cite sources in footnotes (N), in shortened footnotes (SN), and in the bibliography (B). If you are using a program to help format your citations, set it to "Turabian" or "Chicago," "notes-bibliography," and then correct the result so that it follows the requirements in this guide.

In our discipline, dictionaries are encyclopedias with short articles. A word-dictionary is called a lexicon and has its own entry elsewhere in this guide. Dictionary names can be spelled-out or abbreviated using their official abbreviation. For multi-volume dictionaries, include the volume number as well as the page number (e.g., 3:359).

Since the author of each article is usually different than the editor, cite each entry by author. Include the following information: author, article title in quotation marks, italicized dictionary name/abbreviation, volume number, page number. Include the editor only in the bibliography.

Single-Volume Dictionary/Encyclopedia

N:                    1. Holly Beers, “Servant of Yahweh,” DJG2 856.

SN:                  3. Beers, “Servant,” 726.

B1:       Beers, Holly. “Servant of Yahweh.” DJG2 855-859.

or

B2:       Beers, Holly. “Servant of Yahweh.” Pages 855-859 in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. 2nd ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2013.

Multi-Volume Dictionary/Encyclopedia

N:                    1. Stanley d. Walters, “Jacob Narrative” ABD 3:599.

SN:                  3. Walters, “Jacob Narrative” ABD 3:599.

B1:       Walters, Stanley D. “Jacob Narrative.” ABD 3:359-609.

or

B2:       Walters, Stanley D. “Jacob Narrative.” Pages 359–609 in vol. 3 of Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York, Doubleday, 1992.